Dom Wars - Round Four (2 page)

"
Thank you." I hung up. "Back side of the building. We're safe."

Steve
smacked my arm repeatedly to get my attention. "Is that her?"

I jerked and looked.
"Ohhh, fuck yes. It is. Where is she going?" My heart pounded so hard I thought it might break my ribs while every fiber of me wanted to go to her.

"
Maybe…to get something out of her car?" We both slouched lower in our seats when she rounded the edge of the little outdoor sitting area and came directly toward us.

"
Shit," I whispered. "Get ready to hide." She suddenly stopped on the sidewalk maybe fifty feet away and dug in her purse. I sat up higher and watched. She wore a long flowing yellow skirt with tiny somethings on it, probably flowers, and a simple white t-shirt top. Fucking amazing simplicity, oozing with raw beauty and klutzy awkward grace. She couldn't get any sexier.

I sat up taller when she stooped down.
"Oh my God," I whispered. "She dropped her little can of coins? Fucking priceless. She dropped that the first day I met her."

"
You're kidding," Steve said.

"
No. In the line at the audition, with several hundred eyes on her. It's how I met her, helped her pick them up." I smiled. "She was so embarrassed. When I tried to give her the money, she told me to keep it." I chuckled at how fucking priceless that was. "Here she comes!"

We both ducked again and slowly peeked back up when she never made it as far as us.
"Who the fuck is that?" A tall blond dude stood next to her. 

Steve
shrugged. "A brother?"

"
Look at her, she's not acting like he's a brother. Or uncle."

"
Well…cousin maybe?"

Cousin. He chucked her chin with a finger and she looked down and away.
"Cousin, my ass." I opened the door and Steve grabbed my forearm.

"
Wait! Just wait and see a moment, don't jump the gun."

"
I'm about to jump something if he doesn't leave soon." My heart hammered my chest with heart attack force while the fire in my gut spread to every muscle. He was clearly hitting on her.

She pulled her purse to her chest, nodded at him, and looked around like she was ready to end the conversation but wasn
't sure how. I cracked the car door to try and listen.

"
No, thanks…here for…Gramma is better…see you around though." She began walking away, nodding and talking. Yes, get away from him, that's it. Take the hint cocksucker.

My body sagged
with relief when the fucktard finally waved and headed toward the building. Great, he was going inside?

I watched Tara at the car three down from us. An older
brown station wagon. Maybe her Grandmother's? She got in and I shut my own door. "Follow her. At a distance."

Steve got right on it, becoming the professional driver again
, like putting on a uniform shirt. Then he paused and grinned, as if realizing he didn't need to go back behind that mask of professionalism with me. "Buckle up, my man, this could be a bumpy ride." He regarded my concerned expression briefly. "It's just a figure of speech. Lighten up, dear boy. I'd like to have a little fun on our excursion." He ended with his scary smile.

"
Did I ever tell you how freaky you look when you do that? Like one of those masquerade ball masks, the ones criminals use to hide their faces."

Thankfully
, he thought that was funny and boomed out hysterical laughter. "That's my Scar Face grin. You know, the one from James Bond?"

I nodded
, not making the connection. "Reminds me more of the Joker."

His eyes widened with his smile.
"Even better! I love that character."

"
He was a nut job." I watched Tara pull out and motioned we go.

"
Wait a few seconds. We don't want to scare her. Just don't lose sight of her."

"
I'm not. Worst case scenario, I'll get the address to her grandmother."

I looked at him.
"How?"

He pulled out
of our parking spot at a granny's pace, making me antsy. "They gave me contact information in case of emergency."

I nodded and pointed.
"Good. Hurry, she went right."

Steve stepped on the gas a little more while I tapped my thumb on my leg to a neurotic beat and Steve hummed one of his rest your soul hymns.

We followed Tara around town and I watched her. It was the most erotic thing to me, seeing her in her life. Seeing the real her. She was so guarded. So rigid. Held herself exact. She stopped and talked to old people. I liked that. She was caring. We followed her as she went around on foot. She went to that cute Post Office and when she came out, she had mail. A PO Box? Hmm. For what, I wondered.

She
stopped at a little diner next and we parked on the other side of the street, and several buildings down. But I could still see her at the window. Drinking coffee maybe? Looking at something. The mail she'd gotten no doubt. Longing hit me and stole my breath. I wanted to go to that diner with her. Walk hand in hand through her home town. Kiss her on the sidewalk. Make her glow, make her smile. Make her happy and safe. Make her all mine.

I laid my head back on the seat, content to just see her. For now.

"I could stand some of that food I'm smelling," Steve muttered.

"
Any drive thru services around here we can hit later?"

"
I'm sure. I mean I hope. If not, there's a grocery store. That works for me. Cold cuts, sandwich spread and white bread. Mmm-mm, sounds divine."

Somebody was
apparently starving. I didn't care if I ever ate again or not, as long as I could look at Tara.

Tara
finally moved out of the booth and my body tensed with anticipation. What next? Where to next? I was eager to watch her, see her. I could do this all day. It would give me plenty of clues about the inner workings of her mind, plenty of fuel for figuring her out.

Chapter Two

We followed her out of town
, but not for long. She turned into a driveway and we drove on past. I stared down the long winding drive and eyed the white country house at the end. "Must be her grandmother's." I said. "Turn around as soon as you can. Find a place to park out of sight."

"
Will do. I'll need to find a remote place, though. I need to relieve myself."

Relieve himself
. Of course Steve wouldn't just say he needed to take a leak. "What time is it?"

"
Two-ish. I'll need to eat soon. Wouldn't want to have a diabetic emergency on you."

He was diabetic? I glanced at him.
"Of course not." I sighed, trying to come up with an option that would take care of both needs. "I'd say go back to town but she might leave."

Steve nodded.
"Well, there're only so many places she'd likely go."

No, I didn
't want to take the chance. I looked around at the lightly forested area. Would she sleep at her grandmother's house? The thought sent my imagination off on a tangent wondering about her room. Had she updated it, or was it still the bedroom of teen girl? Either way, it would be neat and organized, I was sure. "How about you go into town and get something to eat. I'll hang out here and stay out of sight. I have my phone, I'll call you if I need rescuing."

"
Are you sure?" Steve looked all around. "Pretty remote it seems."

"
Yeah, I'll be stealth. Keep your phone on."

"
Yes sir."

I got out of the car and looked around
at the surreal scenery. Rolling low hills stretched into the distance, broken by forested patches and at least one road. Nearby, fat cattle grazed in a lush-looking pasture, and I recognized several varieties of cultivated crops interspersed across the landscape.

Feeling eyes on me, I looked around, trying to spot anyone who might have discovered my presence. At the cow pasture, a scruffy looking donkey had approached the fence and stood staring at me, big ears pricked
. I'd heard somewhere the little beasts were often used by farmers to keep predators from livestock. The thought made me glad to be on the other side of the fence. The donkey shook its head and switched flies and stared.

A slight breeze stirred and t
he smell of fresh-mown hay wafted from a field that probably lay waiting to be baled. It all hit me like a drug, bringing the heavy longing for things I never entertained. Shit, I needed to get out of sight. I turned to find the best route to take.

A shrill growling/bellowing erupted, scaring the hell out of me. I dropped to the ground in panic, raising only my head to look for the threat. Shit, I was idiot to be out there, defenseless, where anyone or anything could come across me. As soon as the thought cleared, I spotted the donkey and recognized the sound simultaneously. The thing stood there, lip curled up and forward, neck outstretched, and brayed its guts out.
Fucker was loud, I needed to hide.

O
n full stealth mode, I picked my way through the trees leading to her house, keeping to cover, and the entire time thinking how fucking dangerous it was for her to be there alone. I could easily be a stage five sadist, I mean look how fucking easy it would be to just walk right up and take her.

God, take her. Just the thought sent hot tongues of fire to lick my cock and balls, before turning into desperate searing fingers that squeezed my heart and ruthlessly flayed my guts.

I finally made it to the edge of the yard and watched for signs of her.  The screen door opened and she came out, sending my heart into my stomach. She'd changed her clothes. White shorts and a light pink t-shirt. Fuck. Getting comfy? My cock throbbed as she bent over, ass toward me. I wanted to be pissed she didn't have more modesty, but excused her since she thought nobody was around. Still, my hand itched to spank her beautiful ass for it. Spank her for anything, really. And everything.

She suddenly straightened and looked around, and
I jerked fully behind the tree I stood next to. The screen door banged and I carefully peered out. A light shone through a small window upstairs and I made a quick dash to the front door. Unlocked. Was she fucking nuts?

I listened for several breathless seconds and jerked the door open the second I heard noise upstairs. I hurried inside, greeted by the smells of a home well lived in
for more than half a century, the overpowering aroma of vanilla conquering the mild odor of "old".

I crept toward the stairs and heard water running. Fucking bath? With the fucking door wide open?

Fast steps on the stairs sent me running for cover. I slipped inside the nearest room and listened. Shit. I looked around me and discovered I was in some sort of sewing room. Footsteps pounded up the stairs and I slowly exited. I locked the front door and made my way to the stairs, listening.

Water still running. I headed up quickly, wishing I could stop and look at the pictures along the way. At the top of the stairs, I found the bathroom door, shockingly shut. Why was she bathing at this time? I crept up to the door, listening. I eyed the door at the end of the hall, slightly ajar. The lavender and white interior drew me.

I peeked inside of what had to be her bedroom and was immediately sucked into a past where fingers of awe slowly embraced me. I looked around and saw it everywhere. Years of a sweet little girl, longing for things never realized. Raw needs so basic it stole my fucking breath. Everywhere, it screamed, I'm simple, plesae love me. Somebody love me. Anybody.

I slid my finger along the scarred curio cabinet hanging on the wall filled with…bits of…simple nothings with pretenses of significance. I walked through the webs of her past, to the small twin bed. I stared down at the raggedy porcelain doll with matted auburn hair. God. It was a frozen image of an innocent Tara
. Childhood hopes frozen in time. I sat down on the bed, confused by the overwhelming emotions tearing me apart. I stroked the worn yellow cover with the tiny purple flowers and gazed at the lamp with the smiling ballerina on top. Had she been a ballerina? When she was younger? I looked down on the nightstand at the happy pad of paper with the scribbled hearts and the fat pen laying on it. I picked it up and smiled. Hadn't seen one like it in years. It had several of the little tubes, multiple colors of ink, inside. I turned it and saw she had the pink one pressed down. All little girl. All my sweet girl.

I laid the pen gingerly down and put my head in my hands. God, please. Please let me convince her I am the one. The one she longed for all these years. I will take care of her, I
'll make it all worth it. All of the dreams, the wishes…the tear-filled prayers choking her room... I was here to answer them, make them come true. Me. It was fucking me

My heart jolted at
the sound of a door opening. I dropped to the floor next to the bed and slid under it just as she came in. I held my breath and watched the floor on my left.